This city is where Eastern European oppression meets Western European style, values and inspiration. The old town is a bizarre combination of the run-down and the completely, ridiculously opulent. The presence of the communist regime that only ended in 1994 is still palpable in the air -- even visible on the skylines. On the streets, people rarely smile (yet they give each other flowers at every possible occasion). This is what you want from a visit to the Baltic states -- artsy (and unbelievably beautiful) people, some Eastern European squalor (and prices) and a feeling for last century’s history that is real and lingering.

An archaic law that banned the building of brick structures outside the walls of Riga’s old town was lifted at the turn of the 20th century. Along with a period of incredible prosperity (Riga was the third largest port in Russia at the time), this paved the cobblestoned way for the construction of Riga’s treasures -- the whimsical and imaginative collection of Art Nouveau buildings that make it a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The buildings and people, however, spent most of the century behind the iron curtain. The contrast between the Red Army’s monolithic concrete structures and the Latvians’ colourful fairytale palaces are a constant reminder to live free and cherish freedom. And the people here do.

While the port of Riga and its accompanying commerce and wars have shaped the landscape, the place is a fertile ground for art, literature and especially music. Riga refers to itself as the City of Inspiration, and prides itself in a history of innovation. This place is about opportunity, and the search for the groundbreaking. Complacency is not an option here, but expenses are not a necessity. This is a fairytale world that caters for artists both in its appearance and its affordability.